Damper construction

ABSTRACT

DAMPER CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED DAMPERS THAT UTILIZES SHUTTERS MOUNTED ON CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL HINGES WHICH ARE FREE FROM BINDING, PROVIDE POSITIVE SEALING AND PROVIDE STOPS FOR EACH SHUTTER.

Sept. 20, 1971 I J McCABE 3,605,503

DAMPER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 12, 1969 INVENTOR FRANCIS J. MCA8E av M 7A 7' TORNE y United States Patent 3,605,603 DAMPER CONSTRUCTION FrancisJ. McCabe, Penns Park, Pa. Prefco Products,

Inc., P.O. Box 421, Rte. 413, Buckingham, Pa. 18912) Filed Nov. 12,1969, Ser. No. 875,982

Int. Cl. F24f 13/06 U.S. Cl. 98-110 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREDamper construction for automatically operated dampers that utilizesshutters mounted on continuous horizontal hinges which are free frombinding, provide positive sealing and provide stops for each shutter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of theprior art Various one way air flow devices have been proposed whichinclude shutters that open to allow air to escape and which closeautomatically to seal and prevent any back flow from occurring.

None of these devices has proven wholly satisfactory as the shutterstend to bind and the hinges become ineffective due to entrance of dirtinto the hinges. In addition, the stops provided are inadequate andproper sealing to prevent backfiow is not attained.

The apparatus of the present invention has shutters that do not bind,but swing freely on hinges regardless of dirt accumulations, do notovertravel and provide a positive seal to prevent back flow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature and characteristic featuresof the invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a shutter in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the shutter shownin FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentar perspective view showing the details ofconstruction.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings the damper construction includes an outer frame 9 ofrectangular shape, mounted in a wall with top and bottom rails 11 and 12and vertical side rails 14 connecting the rails 11 and 12. Therespective rails 11 and 12 and the rails 14 can be made as extrusions ofmetal or of plastic, depending upon the specific field of use.

Between the rails 14, a plurality of hinges 15 are mounted. The hinges15 include a fixedly mounted hinge plate 16 and a rotatable hinge plate17. Each hinge plate 16 is fastened to the side rails 14 by insertioninto T-shaped slots 18 and then edge staked. Each hinge plate 16includes a central panel 20 with a T-shaped front portion 21 extendingtherefrom which portion 21 has an upper margin 22 of roundedconfiguration tapering to an edge 23. The portion 21 also has a lowermargin 24 with a flat edge 25 which acts as a shutter stop.

The panel 20 at the top thereof has a rear shield 30 extending therefromwhich shield 30 is of curved shape and extends back and down from thepanel 20 until it contacts the vertical walls 31 of the side rails 14which rails are shown in FIG. 4 as of E-shape in end view.

The central panel 20 has a C-shaped supporting portion 32 extendingtherefrom at its lowermost point and through an arc slightly in excessof and which supports an overlapping C-shaped portion 33 of rotatablehinge plate 17. The C-shaped portion 33 extends through an are slightlin excess of 180 and has an inturned lip 38 which retains the portion 33on the portion 32 during movement as well as at both open and closedpositions of the hinge but permits of easy longitudinal assembly.

The C-shaped portion 33 on the exterior thereof has an outwardlyextending blade 34 to reduce the quantity of debris entering theinterior of the portion 32 and which might cause portions 32 and 33 tobind. The hinge plate 17 is connected to and extends from a front panel35 of a shutter 36. The shutter 36 has a lower raised panel 37 whichfits over the T-shaped member 21 and provides a seal in closed position.The side rails 14 have vertical flanges 39 against which the ends oftheir panels 35 engage in closed position to provide an end seal.

A shutter positioning flange 50 is fastened to each shutter 36 by rivets51 and pivotally'connected to a vertical positioning arm 52 by rivets53.

The arm 52 may be moved by any suitable type of actuating equipment suchas an electric motor (not shown).

Referring now to FIG. 4 the center attachment of the hinge 15 is shownand includes a vertical beam 60 of H-shape in cross section with clips62 engaged therewith and has a lower channel 63 into which the member 30is engaged. The clips 62 have upper arms 65 which extend along the topof shield 30 and are engaged in the channel 66 formed by the margin 22and shield 30 which margin 22 has its edge 23 shaped to retain the arms65 in channel 66.

It will thus be seen that apparatus has been provided with which theobjects of the invention are attained.

I claim:

1. In a damper having a frame and a plurality of pivotally mountedblades, the improvement comprising:

(a) a plurality of fixed hinge elements; each of said elements havingmeans for pivotally engaging one of said blades, and means forconnecting said element to said frame;

(b) said frame having side walls with inwardly depend ing flanges; saidflanges having laterally extending notches therein;

(c) said connecting means comprising integral T-shaped portionsextending from said elements; the stems of said T-shaped portions beingdisposed within said notches at the longitudinal ends of said elementsso that the elements are interfitted with said flanges.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said fixed hinge elementshave a shield extending therefrom partially enclosing the means forpivotally engaging a blade; and each movable blade is pivotally mountedpartially within said closure and has extending therefrom a blade-likeportion within said enclosure having a free end in close juxtapositionto said shield.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said blades has a continuoushinge element extending along one longitudinal edge; and each of saidfixed hinge elements has an integral continuous longitudinally extendingportion pivotally engaging the hinge element of said blade.

4. The invention of claim '1 wherein an additional vertical support isprovided within said frame; said support having flanges; and additionalmounting means are provided for said fixed hinge elements, saidadditional mounting means comprising clips engaging said verticalsupport and said hinge elements.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein a portion of each of said clips isH-shaped in section and embraces at least one of said flanges of saidadditional vertical support.

6. The invention of claim 4 wherein said fixed hinge elements haveshields extending therefrom and each of said clips has a portionextending therefrom embracing said shield in a sliding fit.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the portions in embraced relationare complementally configured.

4 8. The invention of claim 6 wherein said clips are interfitted in partwith the T-shaped portion of said fixed hinge element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,269,939 6/1918 Kane 49397X1,359,558 11/1920 Wine 9*8121 2,205,015 6/1940 LOwry et a1. 49-397X2,365,378 3/ 1944 Benson 49-39'7X MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner W. C.ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 98-121

